Scattered Thoughts, Random Musings

It's the last day of Black History Month and though this is late in coming, I didn't forget! I mentioned earlier in the month that would be featuring the fascinating black characters of the Old West and I have delivered: my top 5 rugged black cowhands, rodeo riders, pioneers, and businessmen of the Wild West. In my last post, I featured my top 5 women of the West  so if you missed that be sure to check it out! In the meantime, here is just a brief list of black frontiersmen of the Old West... Enjoy! 1. Bill Pickett (1870-1932): Born to Black Cherokees in the Midwest, Pickett was a cowhand who invented "bulldogging," one of the 8 rodeo sports performed and credited to an individual. In 1971, he was the first African American  to be voted into Oklahoma City's Cowboy Hall of Fame. 2. George Bonga (1802-1880): A fur trapper, trader, and negotiator from Minnesota, Bonga was of African American and Indian descent and was made legend for his ...

Last year, I featured some of my favorite poets and poetry in honor of Black History Month. This year, I want to continue that with black men and women of the Old West. As I prepare to write my historical western romance, I am in awe of the many black men and women who were just influential in the Western Expansion--those who had built a life for themselves out in the west and Midwest, but who are sadly very rarely mentioned in the history books or Hollywood. So each week this month, in honor of the 1860's set western romance I'm working on (which will be part of a historical romance anthology with authors Alyssa Cole, Piper Hughley, and Kianna Alexander) I will be featuring some of the fascinating stories I've discovered during my research. This week I want to feature the top 5 "badass" black women of the Old West: 1. Cathay Williams aka "William Cathay" (1842-1892), born to a slave woman in Missouri, served as a Buffalo Solider during the Ci...

It's the last day of February and I hope you've enjoyed the poems. I end this month with another one of my many favorites. "Oh God, at last, I ain't gotta run no more..." -"So I Run" performed by Will Bell    Celebrate and remember Black History month--every month!

One of my favorite poems that is raw and provocative yet beautifully performed... "Here we are centuries after slavery, insulting our ancestors bravery by shouting phrases daily like..." -"Niggers Niggas & Niggaz" performed by Julian Curry  

"In 1804, Haiti was the first black country to get it's independence." -"Immigrant" performed by Wyclef Jean

Everyone has a past and history worth remembering... Black History month is a time for recollection and appreciation. Though one month is never enough to absorb such an intricate past, it's a still an important time for us to pause and take a moment to remember our history. Every Friday this month, I'll be celebrating Black History through the power of spoken word. Poetry has always had a special place in my heart and I wanted to use it to celebrate our past. "I re-read my history and I remembered me." -"White" performed by Nafessa Monroe   (If you are having trouble viewing this video via Explorer, please try another browser.)